In a heart-stopping incident on Thursday evening, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s aircraft was caught in severe turbulence due to sudden extreme weather conditions while flying back to Kolkata. The Chief Minister was returning from an election rally in Pandaveswar, Paschim Bardhaman, when her plane encountered the fury of a ‘Kalbaishakhi’ (Nor’wester) storm, leading to terrifying moments for everyone on board.

According to sources at the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport, the aircraft began experiencing violent tremors as it approached the city’s airspace. Visibility dropped drastically, and high-velocity winds made it difficult for the pilots to maintain a steady altitude. The aircraft was reportedly tossed around in the air for several minutes, sparking a major security alert. Despite the challenging conditions, the pilots demonstrated exceptional skill and safely managed an emergency-style landing at the Dum Dum airport after circling the city for some time.

While the Chief Minister is reported to be safe and has reached her residence in Kalighat, the incident has raised fresh concerns about her travel safety protocols. This is not the first time Banerjee has faced a mid-air crisis; previous instances of emergency landings due to weather or technical snags have occurred. High-ranking officials of the state administration are now seeking a report from the Air Traffic Control (ATC) to understand why the flight proceeded despite the prevailing storm warnings across South Bengal.